Earth Day ’94 : A Greener Valley : Measure Your Environmental Consciousness
On the first Earth Day, there was a popular expression: “If you’re not part of the solution, you’re part of the problem.” If you can answer at least half of these questions correctly, consider yourself environmentally literate and part of the solution.
1. Two million tons of pesticides are applied each year worldwide. The vast majority of them are what kind of pesticide?
a) herbicides (kill vegetation)
b) fungicides (kill fungus)
c) rodenticides (kill rodents)
d) insecticides (kill insects)
2. Which of the following is a form of recycling?
a) grass clippings left on a lawn
b) cow dung sitting on a meadow
c) composting leftover food
d) all of the above
3. Who took Environmental Protection Agency officials hostage in 1980 to draw attention to Love Canal and is now an activist in Washington?
a) Barry Commoner
b) Rachel Carson
c) Paul Ehrlich
d) Lois Gibbs
4. Biodiversity refers to the abundance and diversity of all life on our planet. Approximately how many species (unique types) of plants and animals have been identified on our plant?
a) 750,000
b) 1 million
c) 1.5 million
d) 10 million
5. Why are most landfills closing? They:
a) begin to smell
b) are filling up too fast
c) often leak and contaminate the ground water
d) all of the above
6. Which human activity is primarily responsible for forcing plants and animals into extinction?
a) polluting the water
b) habitat destruction
c) polluting the air
d) hunting
7. Until recently, wetlands were considered worthless, mosquito-infested habitats. Today we know they:
a) are spawning and nursery grounds for most of our commercial fish
b) filter and dilute water pollutants
c) buffer dry lands from floods
d) all of the above
8. How much water can you conserve each time you use the dishwasher without the “rinse hold” cycle?
a) 1 gallon
b) 5 gallons
c) 10 gallons
d) 15 gallons
9. Laser printers produce ground-level ozone that contributes to air pollution. TRUE or FALSE
10. How many people are added to the world’s population each day?
a) 2,600
b) 26,000
c) 260,000
d) 2,600,000
11. “Greenspeak” refers to:
a) an advertisement that says a product is environmentally safe when in fact, it is not
b) a politician saying he is pro-environment when his voting record shows the opposite
c) a language only understood by environmentalists
d) all of the above
12. Eighty percent of all our solid wastes are disposed of by:
a) dumping into landfills
b) recycling into new products
c) burning in incinerators
d) shipping overseas
13. Fruits and vegetables are often waxed to extend their shelf life and enhance their appearance. The wax may be embedded with pesticides and is therefore required by federal law to be labeled as such. TRUE or FALSE
14. Which of the following have been successfully used as alternatives to insecticides?
a) sterilization
b) sex attractants
c) resistant crops
d) all of the above
15. Belching cows contribute to what environmental problem?
a) ozone depletion
b) global warming
c) air pollution
d) all of the above
16. Lawn mowers produce the same amount of air pollution as a car running for the same length of time. TRUE or FALSE
17. In 1950, 30% of the earth’s land was covered with tropical rain forests. What’s the figure today?
a) 27%
b) 17%
c) 10%
d) 7%
--Adapted from “Environmental Literacy” by Steven H. Dashefsky, Random House.
Quiz Answers:
1. a) herbicides (kills vegetation)
2. d) all of the above
3. d) Lois Gibbs
4. c) 1.5 million have been identified, but it is estimated that possibly 10 million exist.
5. c) contaminate ground water--Ground water supplies 50% of the U. S. drinking water.
6. b) habitat destruction--Construction projects (for housing and other urban development) and agriculture are the two major culprits that destroy natural habitats, forcing some plants and animals into extinction.
7. d) all of the above
8. b) 5 gallons
9. True--Most printers have filters that should be routinely replaced or they allow the release of ozone, which contributes to air pollution and can affect your health.
10. c) 260,000
11. b) a politician . . .
12. a) dumping into landfills
13. True--Although they hardly ever appear, stores can be fined $1,000 for not posting signs indicating the produce is waxed.
14. d) all of the above
15. b) global warming--Belching cows produce methane gas, which plays a minor role in global warming.
16. True--Even though lawn mowers have less horsepower, they are far less sophisticated motors and produce far more pollutants per c.c. of engine.
17. d) 7%